The Other Girl Tales: Beauty and the Beast
by Smash Bandiicoot
Summary: Corinne is a servant in the master's grand household and she holds feelings for the French aristocrat and her old friend. Will the curse set upon the master, and his house, bring them together? Or will it push them farther apart?
1. Chapter 1: The Ball

**NOTE: This is my first time ever writing a fanfiction, but not writing in general. So please, critique, we all know I need it. ;)**

**The Other Girl Tales: The Beauty and the Beast**

_Chapter One: The Ball_

The grand ballroom was all shimmer and shine on a night in the middle of January. The snow fell lightly outside of the large windows lining the room. However, that didn't matter to many guests that danced and mingled throughout the room. All of them dressed in their latest glittery winter glamor. Their gold was lining their ears, arms and necks.

The gowns of the lady's sweeping across the floor, lead by the shined shoes of the men, that their servants slaved over that very morning. The woman twirled and stepped at the touch of the man's hand at their back, the formers grips firm to guide. They were all of the finest faces and lightest bodies, but none in the room compared to that of the host, for he was the most beautiful of all.

His family was the richest in the county and one of the most powerful. Today was his birthday, and this was his celebration. We had been planning it for months, going over every minute detail, and in the end it all paid off, because it was the best party anybody had seen in years. It was his twenty-first birthday, his time for utmost excitement. The house was his, the land was his, the experience was his, and there was no more denying that Samson Raousset was now a man.

Now I could see him approaching me through the crowd, a smirk lighting his fair face. There was no denying him beautiful. His chin was prominent, his eyes set into his face and his eyebrows sat off of his eyes elegantly. His hair was dark and swept across his head lightly. His lips were full and pink, but his nose was large and crooked, from where he fell out of a tree when he was a boy. His wide shoulders and athletic form created a path for him through the mingling crowd.

When he reached me, I smiled up to him and peered into his blue icy eyes. They held no warmth and no comfort, I knew this, but just as everyone else, I was attracted to them anyway, despite all the emotions they lacked. Every woman in her right mind and two eyes gazed at him longingly. For his looks, his powers, his money, just one dance. Even the men stared at him in envy of what he had and they never would.

"What will be today, master?" I asked, happy to oblige even though I was just teasing. He picked up a glass of champagne,

"Have a glass, Corinne." He offered, handing it to me, "And celebrate, for today is the day I am a man." He said raising his chin. "Nothing will get in my way, I will dance with every girl in this room, and one in particularly." He said raising his eyebrows.

"And who would that be?" I grinned. He leaned in close as if to tell me a secret, then turned unexpectedly and pointed at a young woman across the room talking too another young man, "Miss Charlotte Leveque," he announced to me. I frowned instantly. He looked at me, "Why?" He asked, indicating my long face.

"Oh," I said shaking back into a smile, "Nothing, I just remembered I need to take the rolls out of the oven." I fibbed.

"Alright then." He said dully, uninterested in anything that didn't concern him. I settled on heading towards the kitchen.

"Charlotte Leveque?" I said to myself. "Could he find anyone with less of a personality?" I asked, before taking a sip from my gold rimmed champagne glass. Over the rim of my glass I saw a tall thin yellow haired man in a butlers uniform speeding towards me. He almost passed me, when I grabbed him by the arm. "Cogsworth!" I said, "Where are you going?" I asked, surprised, "Like this?"

"Ah, Corinne, come quickly," he began, "There is an old woman in the hall…Babette let her in…she wants shelter for a night, out of the cold."

"What?!" I exclaimed loudly. I composed myself and looked around to see if we were drawing attention, then I pulled him behind a curtain. "What?" I whispered now.

"An old woman, downstairs, old, decrepit, needs a place to stay." He whined. I shook my head,

"No, no. The master will not approve. This isn't a charity. Send her away." I demanded. He lifted his shoulders in a shrug,

"I have tried. She will not leave." He admitted.

"Then make her leave!" I whispered sharply, beginning to shove him out from behind the curtain.

"Corinne, you do not know! He may let her stay!" he whined as we were exposed to the party again. I looked at him, incredulously,

"Cogsworth, you and I both know that will never happen. Not on his life."

"But-" he opened his mouth to retort when a hand was placed on his shoulder and a grinning face came between us.

"Aye! What's this?" Master Raousset asked playfully, "I thought I told you people to stuff planning conspiracies." He joked. We chuckled awkwardly, and unfortunately it wasn't a very good cover up. Master Raousset's face dropped and he looked between us both. "What's going on?" he asked, his brow furrowing.

"We'll you see sir-" I began, stepping in front of Cogsworth to answer first.

"No, sir really-" he said, cutting me off.

"Enough!" the master yelled, his face red to his black hairline. "Enough," he said again, quietly. He looked around to see the surrounding people questioning him. He stalked over to the doors and went into the hall, Cogsworth look at me and I pushed him ahead of me. I could hear him gulp as he went over the threshold.

Master Raousset closed his eyes and breathed deeply, "Now, Cogsworth, tell me what you have to say." I went to protest, but he held up his hand, "No, Corinne, you keep quiet." He commanded, then focused his attention Cogsworth.

"There's an old woman at the door, master, seeking shelter from the cold, in exchange for a rose!" he peeped quickly. The master's eyes widened and his jaw tightened,

"What did you say?" he grumbled between his teeth.

"There's an old woman who wants to stay in the castle, sir."

"WHAT?!" he shouted, far too loud than was necessary, causing Cogsworth to shove me in front of him.

"Master Raousset," I started calmly, "We will take care of the old woman."

"That's not what I'm worried about," he said looking past me, "What I'm curious about, is why Cogsworth even has to bother me, at my grand party, that Corinne and I have taken month to plan," his voice began rising with each word as he moved around me, "To tell me about some old woman who wants to sleep here!!" he yelled down at Cogsworth, who scrambled around my other side as Master Raousset stood at my back, leering over my head.

"But she will not leave, sir." He said timidly.

"You're in charge Cogsworth, aren't you? Send the dogs on her." he murmured angrily and turned to go back into the ballroom,

"But we don't have any dogs." He was barely able to finish when the master snapped back,

"Get rid of her!" he said his final word and started through the door, "Get back in here, Corinne." I heard before the door closed. I looked down at Cogsworth and shrugged,

"Sorry, Cogsworth," I placed a hand on his shoulder, "Try Madame de la Grande Bouche, she's good with these kinds of things."

"But she's in there." Cogsworth replied still crouched down, as I backed into the door. I smiled faintly and turned into the room. As I began to walk back towards my table on the outskirts of the room the master caught stride with me.

"I swear he's an idiot sometimes." He said to me, rubbing his forehead.

"Only sometimes," I said as I went back to pouring champagne, he put his hand over mine that gripped the neck of the bottle. I looked up at him confused,

"Can you pour the wine now, Corinne?"

"Of course, sir." I replied as I pulled the wine glasses over and poured the first two glasses. He picked one up and looked around,

"Now all these people will talk about how I can't control my servants," he took a sip of his wine, raising his eyebrows at its good quality, "Or hold my liquor." He said leaning in, when he smiled I knew it was fine for me to smile and did so. "I just hope I can enjoy the rest of the night." He said turning around and finding his way back to Miss Charlotte.

**NOTE: Thank you for reading. Please review. That's it, I guess. :D**


	2. Chapter 2: The Enchantress

**NOTE: Ok, in my last chapter, I accidentally described Cogsworth looking like Lumiere, my bad. Its should say, "a short stocky man in party attire". Also, I was inspired to write this story because of my school musical this year. Nice story, but a stupid musical, and the musical has made me hate Belle and the stupid servants being objects. So I decided to write something against her and those damn objects. I am making this story with reference from the Disney movie, the Disney stage musical, the original story and my own ideas. **

_Chapter Two: The Enchantress_

"So," said a thick French accent behind me, "What do you think of Miss Charlotte?" I looked up from my pouring and stared across the room where Master Raousett was entertaining the new center of his affections. I tilted my head, as if unsure,

"Should I think something towards Miss Charlotte?" I asked, turning my head to the tall, skinny man next to me. His blond hair was in a small tail at his neck and his nose was long and pointy. He had on his freshly tailored butler's uniform.

"Well," he began, "It is the master's twenty-first birthday. He will be expected to marry sometime in the future now. He may be thinking about marriage now." He said, gesturing towards the couple by the French doors. I looked over, and studied them for a moment.

Miss Charlotte dull brown eyes looked into his cold blue ones playfully, and he touched her arm lightly with the tips of his fingers. He chuckled at a joke and she laughed whole heartedly, glancing at him sideways between her lightly crinkled lids. She placed a hand on his shoulder and I laughed to myself, shaking my head. I went back to pouring my wine.

"What does your laughter mean, Corinne? I cannot read you." He admitted. I looked over at him,

"You're serious?" I asked,

"Very."

"You can't be. I mean," I looked back to Master Raousett and Charlotte. I laughed again at their flirting. "They're not!" I said gesturing to them, Lumiere tilted his head, "Look," I continued, "They both know what's going on. Look at their body language; they're flirting with each other but their eyes tell the story, they know this is a game." She paused and took a sip of wine, "She knows that Master Raousett cares not about relationships and courting, she knows that by the end of this night they would have already snuck out to the hall and had a little." I winked at him.

"Hmmm," Lumiere said as he took in my words, "I suppose you might be right."

"But anyway, they are not the subject of my gossip tonight." I said as a put a grape into my mouth and turned to him, "What about you and the saucy maid, Babette?" I asked, grinning. Lumiere looked away blushing,

"Oh no, mademoiselle," he said grinning back at me now, "You know you are the only girl for me." He joked, "I could never look at another woman when you are always in my heart." He said, his hand clutching at his chest gently, as if reciting Shakespeare. I threw my head up and let out an abrupt laugh, until I remembered we were not alone and closed again, giggling softly.

Then we both stopped suddenly, there were faint voices outside in main part of the castle. No one else could hear it above the dull roar of the guests. However, we were so close to the door that the outline of words reached our ears. We looked at each other and both said quietly, "Cogsworth."

We began to rush towards the door but before we could reach it, the two doors burst open; and they flew back and hit the wall. We stood so close that if Lumiere had not pulled me back the doors would have surely knocked me down.

A small haggardly old woman was standing in the middle of the threshold. She went a steps forward slowly, her back was arched over and her hands were spindly and frail on her cane. A large nose with an equally large wart, sprouted from the middle of face. Her hair was white and wiry over her shoulders and her right hand she held a single rose.

The guest turned to see what was going on and almost all at once gasped, at what they thought as a hideous sight. The woman's ugliness did not bother me so much, what bothered me was that she was so old and so weak. And yet somehow she had made it all the way to the ball room and Cogsworth was nowhere to be seen.

I was standing so close to her, that I could reach out and my fingertips would have been able to feel the rough cloth of her woolen clothes. But yet, I could not push her out, for how would I go about it? She had nowhere else to go, her skin was chapped from the winter, and her lips cracked and bleeding. Who where we to push her out, with all our nice things, roaring fires and goose feather blankets?

"I am requesting from shelter for a night, out of the cold." she called out, her voice raw and dry. "Can the master of the house assist me?"

"Certainly not!" replied Master Raousett's commanding voice. I flinched as I heard the people react as he pushed by them in the crowd. "What are you doing, you fools!?" he yelled at us, as he saw us standing there. Lumiere pushed my back lightly,

"Yes, Corinne, we must get rid of her, push her out." He said mechanically, without moving himself. I could not and he could not, because she was misfortunate, yes, but she was also a human, and she deserved some kindness. Then I felt a rough hand on my shoulder and I was shoved out of the way. I stumbled back and fell into Lumiere. The master approached the woman as she held up her rose to him,

"You can have this rose for the services, sir." She offered.

"Rose?!" he sneered, "I don't want your damn rose."

I pushed myself off of Lumiere, "Master no," I said running over to him and grabbing him by the arm, "Let her stay!" I pleaded, "I will take care of her-"

"GET OFF ME!" He exclaimed, shoving me to the side so hard I fell to the ground. I bit the my lip as I looked back up at him,

"I advise you to listen to your servant, and let me stay." She said gently,

"Never! You disgusting hag! You're presence in my castle is repulsive. You shouldn't be allowed to live, let alone sleep _here_!" he snarled, "I say get out!"

"You have had your chance to make right, Samson Raousett," the woman began her voice altering from the raspy noise to a silky sound, wind began to pick up in the room, "And now you will pay the consequences for your cruelty!" Her last word was the perfect sound of a young woman, no older than twenty. In one sweeping motion, the wind roared to full life and her old, tattered clothes altered before our eyes to the richness and beauty of white silk and satin. Her wiry hairs turned to blond shimmering strands and her large nose shrank and her lines disappeared and her skin tightened. Her back was completely straight and her chin was raised, she had now transformed into the image of the most beautiful enchantress.

Samson fell to his knees in front of her; he grasped at her free hand, and began, what appeared to be, pleading. She merely ignored him and le the rose out of the other hand, so it suspended into the air above head level. The gusts of wind whipped around us, stronger around the woman and Samson, whipping their clothes and hair into a fury around them.

"It is too late to apologize, Samson Raousett! You have shown yourself as you truly are, a cruel and prejudice man, the scum of this earth. You have been ungrateful and unkind to those around, those that you love and that love you. You have judged me and others by mere appearances and you will now know what thatfury!" she said, her voice booming through the room effortlessly. "You will take the form of a hideous beast! So others may judge you now, as you have judged them!" she said, and the wind seemed to lift Samson into the air. His body stretched unnaturally and he began to yell out in great pain. "

From where I was standing I could see his bones detaching beneath his skin and his muscles and flesh expanding around them. Hair grew from his pores, until it was so thick it was like fur, long black fur. He doubled his size, and his body took the shape of what looked like a bear and a man. His mouth and nose formed into a snout and his screams of torment turned into blood curdling roars. His newly tailored suit ripped at the arms and legs.

Then, Samson, or what appeared to be him, fell to the ground with a thud and the wind stopped. The woman let her hands fall to her side, she looked down at Samson, as he lie motionless on the floor. "If you learn to love someone and you earn their love in return and this love is sealed with a kiss upon your hideous snout, the curse with be broken and you will remain a man. However, if you do not break the curse before the rose dies and the last petal falls, you will be trapped in this body and remain the beast forever."

Then the wind picked up once more and the enchantress disappeared into whirl of satin robes. I could feel my breathe catch in my throat; I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. Samson began to struggle with his newly transformed body, his shaking arms picking him up from the newly waxed marble floor.

"What is it?!" the guest began to yell.

"It's a monster!"

"It's hideous!"

Samson's head shot up to them and they screamed, as he snarled. They pushed back towards the far wall, knocking over chairs and tables. I looked at him from behind, his form unrecognizable, the only thing telling me it was him were his clothes I had tailored this week. He growled at them, and they screamed again, Lumiere was standing behind him pale and shaking. I stepped forward and whispered his name, his head snapped towards me, I didn't mean to, but I jumped back out of fright.

The expression on his face changed from anger to hurt. His brow twisted and he looked away. He ran towards the door on all fours, and grabbed Lumiere. When he went into the hall there I could hear Lumiere pleading for a moment.

"Shut up!" I heard a deep raspy voice yell, that sound slightly like Samson's. Then there was the sound of the beast running down the hall towards the West Wing. Everyone on the other side of the ball room let out screams and then all at once ran for the door. They shoved me out of the way as they piled out and down the stairs in a frantic. Cogsworth stumbled through the door once they had left and looked over at me. I walked over to him and wrapped the old man up in an embrace,

"By God, Cogsworth, what has happened?" I whispered.


	3. Chapter 3: The Threat

_Chapter Three: The Threat_

The hot August air was a relief compared to the stuffy kitchen were about a hundred pots were all boiling and twenty bodies were all trying to do thirty different things at once. I stepped outside and took a deep breath of the moving air and sat down on the low stone wall that jutted out from the side of the castle wall for no apparent reason. All the servants of the castle had a hundred and one jobs to do that day because of the party Lady Raousset was hosting tomorrow. I had already finished so Mrs. Potts had sent me outside to wait for further instruction.

I poked at the ground with a stick as the chickens clucked around the yard and pecked at the ground in search for a meal they had already eaten. I began to feel uneasy, I would have thought it was the feeling that someone was watching me but I didn't really know that someone could feel that. I looked up and glanced around the yard and peered into the trees were I saw the shadowed figure of a boy behind a tree. I smiled instantly and began to wave, happy that someone else had finished their chores early. However, my smile soon faded when the person did not walk forwards to join me, but actually began to back away. My first instinct was that it was a servant trying to avoid his work and decided to hide in the garden. I got up and began to shout at him,

"Hey you! Come over here before I tell Mrs. Potts that you're trying to get out of doing your chores!" I warned the boy, which I had a good reason to believe was Timothy who frequently tried to skip his work. However, he didn't seem to be fazed, but continued to stare at me. I narrowed my eyes to try and make out a face, "What are you starin' at anyways?" I shouted, but there was no answer. I began to walk over to him and he backed up with each of my steps before turning and taking off in a run. I ran after him, my unwashed hair blowing behind me felt refreshing against the heat.

"You'll be sorry when I get my hands on you!" I shouted to Timmy as I gained on him. Timmy was never very fast but it all felt too easy when I tackled him to the ground and pinned him there as he squirmed against my grip. I flipped him over forcefully and threw my fist back, ready to beat his face in. I stopped in time to realize that this wasn't Timmy at all. The boys face was soaked in blood from his nose which had been smashed against the ground.

I instantly released him, but it was too late, he had already been angered. He scrambled out from under me, his rat face twisted in pain and fury, his large front teeth protruding from under his lip. He spit blood out onto the ground, "You'll pay for this, you ignorant servant!" he growled in his pubescent voice. I couldn't speak to even try to redeem myself. My mouth moved but no sound came out. He turned and marched away to go tell the Lord and Lady Raousset that a servant girl had boxed him in the nose. I trembled in fear; a lump was caught in my throat but would not let me cry.

"Corinne!" Mrs. Potts agitated voice called from the kitchen door. I instantly stood up and ran as fast as my shaking legs would let me back to the yard. The petite woman was standing in the doorway, one hand on her back as her pregnant belly protruded in front of her. "When I tell you to wait outside the door I means outside the door, Corinne. Not across the yard." She said sternly. I bowed my head in submission and apologized quietly. She sighed and put a comforting hand on my shoulder in a silent apology for getting angry.

"Adrien and you will be helping the young servants finish polishing the ball room floor. There is really nothing else for you to do. I'm sorry." She said as she left me to make my way across the busy kitchen. I ducked and swerved around chefs and their pots of food. I went through the door to find Adrien waiting for me with the buckets, he grinned when he saw me, his smile adding to his handsome face. His brown hair pushed back in a greasy mess, his dark brown eyes teasing me.

We didn't say anything as we ascended and released our hands from each other as we emerged into the main part of the house. We dodged frantic servants and made our way into the ball room were children between six and nine years old were waxing the floor diligently. A stout man was standing back from the windows as he watched servants putting them up, directing them on which way to lean them and so on. He saw us enter and began to shake his head walking over to us. "No, what are you doing here, with buckets of wax? You're too old for this work, and we have more than enough already. Go away."

"We're only eleven and twelve Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts told us to come up here, she said there was nothing else for us to do." Adrien told him.

"That's hogwash. There's always something to do."

"Well, this is what Mrs. Potts told us to come do."

"Go back to Mrs. Potts and tell her that I don't want you up here." He ordered, we didn't move. "Now!" he shouted, getting pink in the face. We turned around, rolling our eyes and left the room.

"Good, I don't want to wax any floor anyway." Adrien said as we descended the stairs and found ourselves back in the kitchen.

"What are you two doing down here?" Mrs. Potts asked, "I thought I sent you to wax the floors."

"Cogsworth sent us away."

"Oh, curse that impossible man!" she exclaimed, we didn't react to her uncommon language. She rubbed her forehead and excused herself. "Go collect some sticks or something." We sighed and went outside to idly pickup sticks for the nearing winter months.

"I thought we were supposed to have real work now that we were older."

"Like you said Adrien, we're only eleven and twelve. And then when we finally have real work, you won't like it anyway." I said, he smiled and shoved my shoulder gently. I stumbled and shoved him back. "Don't be an ass." I told him, he laughed.

"I can't help myself. You know that." He laughed as we continued to walk. My foot caught on something and I stumbled into the tree ahead of me, when I looked back I saw the bulge of a root sticking from the ground. I closed my eyes as I remembered what happened only minutes before, I felt Adrien touch my arm. "What is it?" he asked gently. I shook my head and looked him in the eye,

"I was outside, with nothing to do and saw Timmy standing here… but it wasn't Timmy… and I thought he was skipping his chores…and he started to run… and I...I…" I couldn't breathe. I began to gasp and Adrien put his hands on either side of my face and looked into my eyes. I nodded, and began to take even breaths of air and began again. "I thought I saw Tommy in the trees and I followed him and he was running and tackled him to the ground and when I flipped him over, it wasn't Timmy. It was…it was… "

"Its fine, Rin, you can tell me."

"It was Master Raousset, the little one, the stupid snotty, bratty kid." That's when the tears came and ran down my cheeks. "His nose was bleeding, because he hit it… on that...on that tree root!" I was hysterical by now, "He's going to tell them, and they're going to have me whipped or thrown out and I'm so scared." Adrien wrapped his arms around me and brought me too his chest so I could cry. "What was he doing out here anyway? Why was he walking on this side of the gardens? He's not supposed to be over here." I sobbed.

"He's allowed to go anywhere he wants."

"But why was he over here? There's nothing for him here!" I cried. "I hate him, I hate him!"

**Note: That was a flashback.. in case you didn't know. xD**


	4. Chapter 4: The Mirror

_Chapter Four: The Mirror_

I heard soft hurried footsteps coming from the hall and looked to see Babette, Mrs. Potts and a few other servants rush into the room. Cogsworth and I slowly released our hold on each other, we were both trembling. The others looked around at the destruction of the ball room. Some of the curtains had been ripped and knocked from the windows, and mostly all of the chairs and tables were overturned, even the refreshments. Broken glass and other things littered the floor, making it potentially hazardous to walk upon. And in the air, was the rose.

Mrs. Potts turned to me while someone brought a chair for Cogsworth, for he seemed ready to collapse.

"What happened? We heard a commotion and yelling and a loud voice, and the most terrible sound." Mrs. Potts said to me as I stared at her, unable to explain. I found no words to describe the scene I had just witnessed, and my mouth moved up and down dumbly. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw Babette staring up at the rose, her hand slowly reaching out towards it. I watched her, feeling that she should not touch it, but I was unable to speak.

"What do you imagine..." she began but was cut short by a shrill cry coming from the halls of the castle. Everyone's head whipped around towards the door, and then I sprung into action. I ran out into the hall, and stopped, upon hearing the scream again, I knew Lumiere was in danger. I pulled off my shoes and began to run towards the West Wing. There was probably only one other time that I had ever run so fast and so urgently.

I climbed the shallow stairs three at a time, and continue to pursue the scream a long ways down the corridor. Then I came to a room where the door was unhinged and I stopped, my breathing heavy, I peered inside, cautious not to startle my master. However, I did not see him in the unlit room, but the door on the left side was slightly ajar and I could hear movement and voices within. In the middle of the room I saw the faint imagine of Lumiere's long body lying on the floor.

I hurried over to him, brushing some loose hairs away from my face as I inspected his injuries. He looked up at me weakly, his mouth opening and closing absently. His eyes grew wide with terror as reality came back to him.

"You must leave," he said faintly, "He is terrible." Then his eyes drifted to the door wary where Babette and a few other servants came through. They rushed over to where we sat on the floor and Cook, who doubled in being very knowledgeable in the medical arts, began to tend to Lumiere. I would have remained by his side, had I not heard a deep growling voice coming from the other room. I got up and walked slowly across the floor to the other door, I peered through the gap.

The beast, which appeared to be my master, paced back and forth in his bedroom his back to the door. The room from what I could see was torn apart, the drapes were ripped and the book shelf was knocked over. I could not however, see the full scale of the room from my place at the door. In his had I saw a glowing mirror, with a long handle. He looked into it, snarling, for in the mirror was the face of the enchantress. She was talking calmly to Master Raousset, and I could hardly catch her words.

"I am not sorry Samson Raousset, and perhaps this will be beneficial to you." She told him,

"That's not good enough!" he growled,

"Not good enough?" she asked sharply, "No, nothing is ever good enough for you, now is it?" she asked and with that her eye caught mine over the masters shoulder. She held my gaze for a moment, and I was breathless as I watched her image morph in the countenance of the beast. He saw me in the reflection and turned quickly to face me. But I had turned away and ran now to the where they were lifting Lumiere off of the floor.

"Hurry, hurry!" I yelled, "You must go quickly." I told them, but it was too late, the doors burst open and he was blocking our exit. He roared in protest, and I stepped between them and the beast. He looked down at me, and I stared into his flashing eyes, seeing the only thing that was remotely relevant to the old Samson. The group already began to usher Lumiere through the other door,

"Do not go in there!" he yelled to them, and they halted instantly. His attention came back to me, and I was unrelenting. I knew this man, better than anyone he had ever known, and I was not frightened of him anymore.

"Then get out of the way." I said.

"What did you hear?" he asked me.

"Nothing," I told him, nothing of importance anyway. He stepped aside and the servants went through the doorway quickly. I followed them, releasing my gaze from my master. A heavy hand was placed on my shoulder; I looked up into his foul face,

"Stay out of the West Wing." He commanded, "All of you."

"Yes, _master_."

His eyes narrowed at my condescending tone but I shrugged his hand off of my shoulder and walked down the hall. I caught up to others quickly, because of my long strides and their delayed footsteps under the burden of Lumiere. I saw Babette looked back at the master worriedly and then at me. Our eyes met, and I knew she was scared, scared for me and my attachment to the Master Raousset.


	5. Chapter 5: The Curse

_Chapter Five: The Curse_

I stood at my bedroom window, staring out to the yard behind the kitchen and the trees marching into the darkness beyond. The sun was coming up somewhere in the distant, I could see the light pinkish glow beyond the garden wall. I took a deep breath as I watched the familiar trees.

I bit my bottom lip as I remembered the fear I felt when I had pushed Samson to the ground so many years ago, and the emotions of the events that had followed. They ran through my mind, all leading me to this point. A tear escaped without my permission, and I wiped it from my face in punishment. I turned away from the window and picked up the pack that was lying on my bed. I put it on my shoulders, over my ratty jacket.

At the doorway, I looked down the hall where Babette and Cook were whispering outside of Lumiere's room. I walked away before they turned and saw me, but as I descended the stairs I heard them following.

I weaved through the doorways to the front hall; I was passing the grand staircase when I heard Babette call after me. I only stopped when she stepped in front of me, placing her hands on my shoulders. I attempted to shrug past her, but Cook came around to my side, blocking my way.

"Corinne," Babette began, "Don't do this." She told me, "Don't go." He brown eyes were staring into mine, but I had to look away.

"Don't go?" I repeated to floor. "What's keeping you here anyway?" I asked looking up at her and then at Cook.

"Lumiere… I cannot leave him… not like this…. You know that."

"Alright, what about you Cook?" I asked, "Will you come with me? Or are you afraid to leave the Master without someone to cook him brunch?" I smiled to myself, "He will be fine now, I suspect, that he will take up hunting now."

"Rin, I don't know what has happened to the Master, but you should not jest about it. He is still a man, not a beast." Babette said, appalled.

"A man?" I asked rhetorically, "A man?" Babette and Cook glanced at one another; I suspected some kind of madness was shining in my eyes. "You stopped me leaving once before; Babette, but I will not make the same mistake again. I don't care who's dying this time, I will not stay here a moment longer." I declared and brushed by them, making for the large door.

"Do you really believe that_ I_ kept you here?" Babette asked me, I stopped, the door in my hand, a gap opened to the freedom before me. I looked back at her, my mouth moved as if I was going to reply, but instead I stepped over the threshold. The cool air rushed over me as I marched down the driveway, "Do you think that you will find him?" she called after me, "Corrine!" she yelled, "Corrine!" I didn't react, but only pushed through the gate, leaving it to creak closed.

After a few hours, the sound of feint talking reached my ears and I turned around to see two men a bit farther back, talking with one another as they walked along the highway. I looked at them for a moment; they did not seem to notice me or care that I was there, which was a relief. But I was still nervous all the same and my pace quickened away from them.

I heard the sound of an approaching carriage on the other side of the bend, so I stepped out of the way. After it had passed I heard a commotion from down the road behind me. I turned to see the carriage over turned and one of the men pulling a woman in fine clothes out of the door. I gasped when he cut her throat and tossed her body onto the ground. The other man who was rifling through a chest looked up and over in my direction.

"Did you hear that?" I heard him say as I ran around the bend.

After a few minutes, I turned my head once to see them stopping a long ways back, but I did not stop running until I reached the village. The town was wide awake in the middle of its morning bustle when I ran to the first person I saw.

"Miss! Miss!" I cried, she turned towards me, "Please, help! There's been a highway robbery down the road there." I said, breathing heavily. She looked confused, she shook herself back from the shocked,

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked looking around, "Where are you?" I took her free hand,

"They're up the road here, miss, if you would please get some help." I said. The young woman looked at me with wide green eyes, her hand fluttering to her chest, finally registering the situation. The book she had been carrying dropped to the ground and she ran away, only to be stopped by a tall barrel chested man who seemed concerned about her frantic state. He had a protective arm around her shoulder as she caught her breath and shook her head and began leading him towards me. He objected to this and made her stand back as he started walking my way with long purposeful strides.

"Oh thank you! There may be someone alive! You must help them! Please, this way!" He stopped moving, his mouth set into a line. A stocky man beside the woman swooned and fell over onto the ground, "Sir?" I asked, his mouth loosened up and he looked around challengingly.

"Show yourself, bandit!" he called out.

"You don't understand, they are up the road… there…" I said, taking his hand and pulling him towards the woods. His face went white and he yanked his hand away, he backed up, stumbling over the book the woman had dropped. He woke with a start, and the barrel chested man ushered the green eyed woman by the waist away from me, while the stocky man scrambled up to hurry after them.

The green eyed woman looked up at the man, "What if someone needs our help?" she asked, glancing back at me.

"No one needs _your_ help, Belle." He said, "I will get some men, and we will go look for the voice."

"And the book?"

"I will get your book." That was the last of their conversation that I caught as they walked away, the small man looking back nervously.

"I guess that's taken care of, then." I said, looking back at the road where I had seen the woman get murder not even a quarter of an hour before. I couldn't shake the feeling that it would be too late, that any survivors would slowly die before anyone could make it to them. However, I wasn't prepared to meet those bandits face to face, even if it was uncustomary for them to wait around at the scene of the crime.

Shaken, as I was, I continued my way through the town until I came to the inn. I went inside and took a seat at a table, I heard the barrel chested man gathering men to go investigate the road. They all went out in a bustle, leaving a few women and old men sitting around.

After a few moments, an old fellow came in and tried to sit in my chair, ending up in my lap, I shoved him off of me,

"Excuse me!" I cried, he stumbled grabbing onto a young woman who had jumped up to help him.

"Oh dear…" he said, clutching at his heart as he stared at me. The young woman looked between him and me,

"What?" she asked him, "What happened?"

"Well, I swear to.. to…" he stuttered, "Someone pushed me out of that chair." he managed to say, giving up on the swearing, as the inn keeper came around the bar.

"What's the matter here?" he asked,

"Well, Mr. Levesque believes that a ghost is occupying that chair." Said the young woman.

"That is not what I said."

"You minus of well have!" she started.

"There ain't no such thing as ghosts." The old man said.

"Have you all gone mad?" I asked as I jumped up from the chair.

They all gasped, a moment of silence, and then they all began talking at once. Someone went to get the priest and I followed them, in a hurry to leave the inn, and possibly the whole village.

**A/N: Sorry it's kind of long, and sorry if it's not obvious what the curse is! xD**


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